ST. REGIS PAPER

Inscription

ST. REGIS PAPER
DEFERIET WAS BIRTHPLACE OF
COMPANY EST. 1899. MILL
OPERATED 1901-2001. COMPANY
BUILT VILLAGE TO PROVIDE
HOUSING FOR MILL WORKERS.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2021

The St. Regis Paper Company was founded in 1899 in Jefferson County by David M. Anderson and George C. Sherman. The following year, George W. Knowlton became the company president and led the ambitious development plans. Over the course of nearly two years, hundreds of laborers were employed to construct the mill complex, which included the main building, sulphite and wood pulp grinding mills, boiler house, office building, storehouse, blacksmith shop, carpentry shop, and machine shop. The paper mill canal, which powered the mills with water diverted from the Black River, was dug by hand and considered a feat of engineering for the time period. When operations commenced in 1901, the Watertown Daily Times described St. Regis Paper as a “mammoth paper-making plant” with the capacity to produce 100 tons of paper per day. The Village of Deferiet (formerly known as Egleston or Eggleston) was established around the mill complex; the company provided houses, a general store, a school house, a hotel, and other amenities for its employees.

St. Regis Paper merged with Champion International in 1984 following financial deficits; however, it remained the leading employer in Northern New York. After 100 years in operation, the St. Regis Paper Company closed in 2001 due to rising production costs and foreign competition.